Dayanidhi offers to quit Union Cabinet

Chennai, May 12 (UNI) DMK MP and Union IT and Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran has offered to step down from the Union Cabinet in the wake of the ongoing feud between the Maran and Karunanidhi families, which led to the violence in Madurai recently.

Two days after the attack on the newspaper office protesting against the publication of an opinion poll, which portrayed Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's Madurai-based son M K Azhagiri in poor light, the Marans rushed to the Chief Minister's residence yesterday in an apparent bid to buy peace.

Informed sources said Mr Maran had handed over his resignation letter to Mr Karunanidhi. But, a visibly upset and annoyed Chief Minister refused to accept it, stating that he should give it to Prime Minister Manmohan singh.

Mr Maran, the grandnephew of Mr Karunanidhi, was not immediately available for comments.